Cleveland Browns comment on controversial decision to trade for Deshaun Watson

One of the most controversial decisions in NFL history became official Sunday morning when the Browns announced their blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson.

Two dozen women have accused Watson of sexual misconduct or sexual assault during massage appointments. On March 11, a grand jury decided Watson wouldn't be criminally charged, and the ruling kicked off the sweepstakes among NFL teams for his services as a quarterback despite 22 ongoing civil lawsuits and a likely league suspension looming.

On Thursday morning, the Browns were rejected by Watson, whose no-trade clause gave him the power to dictate his landing spot. But the Browns kept pursuing Watson and compelled him to change his mind Friday with an offer he couldn't refuse. He received a new five-year contract worth $230 million fully guaranteed.

The Browns structured Watson's deal to give him a break in the event of a suspension while also allowing themselves salary-cap flexibility. His base salary for next season will be the league minimum for a player with his experience — $1.035 million, confirmed a person with knowledge of the contract who requested anonymity because details haven't been made public. That means if he were suspended, it would cost him just $57,500 for each game he misses.

With Watson installed as the starting quarterback, the Browns are expected to trade Baker Mayfield soon. 

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The Browns are receiving intense public backlash from segments of their fan base for the Watson move, and the record-setting money the franchise gave him further fuels the outcry.

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Owners Dee, Jimmy Haslam, GM Andrew Berry, coach Kevin Stefanski issue statements on Deshaun Watson

The following are statements from Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski about the franchise's acquisition of Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Haslams: “We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson. We are acutely aware and empathetic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision. Our team’s comprehensive evaluation process was of utmost importance due to the sensitive nature of his situation and the complex factors involved. We also understand there are still some legal proceedings that are ongoing and we will respect due process. It was pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue, discuss our priorities, and hear directly from him on how he wants to approach his career on and off the field. He was humble, sincere, and candid. In our conversations, Deshaun detailed his commitment to leading our team; he understands and embraces the hard work needed to build his name both in the community and on the field. Those in-depth conversations, the extensive evaluation process, his dedication to being a great teammate and devotion to helping others within the NFL, within the community, and through his charitable initiatives provided the foundation for us to pursue Deshaun. We are confident in Deshaun and excited about moving forward with him as our quarterback and supporting his genuine and determined efforts.”

Berry: “We look forward to having Deshaun as our starting quarterback. We have done extensive investigative, legal and reference work over the past several months to provide us with the appropriate information needed to make an informed decision about pursuing him and moving forward with him as our quarterback. Deshaun has been among the very best at the position and he understands the work needed to re-establish himself on and off the field in Cleveland. We are confident that he will make positive contributions to our team and community as we support his return to football.”

Stefanski: “Our organization did a tremendous amount of background on Deshaun. We understand the concerns and questions that exist but are confident in the extensive work Andrew and his staff have done to feel confident about him joining our organization.  It was important for us to meet with Deshaun in person as part of our team’s evaluation process, we had a candid conversation regarding his approach to coming into our organization and community. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to coach Deshaun, he is ready to put in the hard work needed to help our team improve and make a positive impact in our community.”

The Browns, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers met with Watson last week in an attempt to recruit him. Those teams had to submit trade offers to the Texans to get a meeting with Watson, Houston GM Nick Caserio said Saturday in a news conference.

From there, Watson's no-trade clause allowed him to choose where he went.

The Browns were informed Thursday morning Watson would not waive his no-trade clause for them. The Panthers were reportedly told by Thursday night they were out of the mix.

Watson, 26, had narrowed his decision down to the Falcons and Saints. However, the Browns kept pushing and showed Watson they would not be outbid. He decided he would come to Cleveland after all.

Watson's five-year, $230 million deal will set a record for the most guaranteed money on a single contract in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. His average annual salary of $46 million will rank second among NFL quarterbacks, trailing only Green Bay Packers four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers ($50.27 million).

The Browns agreed to send three first-round picks (one in each of the next three drafts), a 2023 third-round selection and a 2024 fourth-round choice to the Texans for Watson and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

The Texans announced the agreement Friday, two days before the Browns followed suit Sunday.

The last time an NFL team surrendered three first-round picks to acquire a player was in 1989, when the Minnesota Vikings traded with the Dallas Cowboys for running back Herschel Walker, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Among the picks the Texans received from the Browns is the 13th overall selection in the April 28-30 draft.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.